CURRENT STATUS OF THE MOTOR PROGRAM

Motor program theory has provided physical therapists with one approac h to understanding how the brain controls movement. Analogous with com puter programs that specify the operations of computer hardware, motor programs are thought to contain commands for muscles that allow movem ents to occur without the need for continuous peripheral feedback. A r eview of the physical therapy literature reveals many instances in whi ch motor program theory has been used as a theoretical framework for c linical practice. Yet despite the contribution programming theory has made to the advancement of movement science, the motor program constru ct is currently under considerable threat. Keele's (1968) original def inition no longer seems tenable, given the problems of program storage , motor equivalence, movement flexibility, and context-conditioned var iability. The finding that researchers from different disciplines defi ne the motor program in a variety of ways adds difficulty to the task of evaluating the efficacy of the model. A critical appraisal of progr amming theory and its use in physical therapy suggests that clinicians need to reconsider the usefulness of the motor program model as a bas is for movement rehabilitation following brain damage and musculoskele tal disorders. [Morris ME, Summers JJ, Matyas TA, Iansek R. Current st atus of the motor program. Phys Ther. 1994;74:738-752.]